>I don't think science, in general, ever claims to have the
>final word on anything, merely the current best guess. Over a
>short term or for one paper or whatever, one scientist can
>fudge data to fit a theory that doesn't quite work and maybe
>get some people to buy into it (see: cold fusion) but over
>enough time, other people try things in the field and
>replicate experiments, and eventually the truth outs.

That's actually one of the primary reasons I've pursued mathematics as my field of interest. I love science, but that tiny nagging "maybe" is always there. Mathematics attempts to be more "absolute" in the fact that we define our assumptions, and from there develop our facts, principles, and proofs.